| Heylighen F. (1989): "Causality as Distinction Conservation: a theory of predictability, reversibility and (2008) | |||||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||||
| Equal causes have equal effects" is reformulated by defining causality as a distinction-conserving relation. Unpredictable, respectively irreversible, processes are analysed as processes in which distinctions are created, respectively are destroyed. Different types of partially causal and pseudo-causal relations are examined. Time order is derived from distinction conservation. It is argued that the emergence of macroscopic distinctions and causal relations is due to a self-organizing evolution, characterized by natural selection. The relationship between "physical" and "observer-dependent" factors in determining causal relations is discussed. | |||||||||||||||
Publication details | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||